tokyo

Today is the 25th anniversary of Buster Douglas’ shocking win over Mike Tyson for the undisputed heavyweight champion and its effect is palpable to this day. Our own Lee Groves looks back on a true day to remember.

While much of the world will spend their New Year’s Eve watching the ball drop in Times Square or catching a local fireworks display, Japan continues a yearly tradition of having its best fighters defend their world titles in dueling events on opposite ends of the country.

Shinsuke Yamanaka showed why he is regarded as the hardest hitting bantamweight in the world today, knocking out Alberto Guevara in the ninth round to retain his WBC bantamweight title on Sunday afternoon in Tokyo.

WBC bantamweight titleholder Shinsuke Yamanaka bolstered his reputation as one of the fiercest sluggers in the eastern hemisphere by blasting Puerto Rico’s Jose Nieves out with a single left cross in the first round.

One of the most popular and polarizing sports figures in Japan, Koki Kameda, spoke to RingTV.com before his Tuesday bantamweight fight with John Mark Apolinario in Tokyo. The multi-division beltholder talked about his fighting family and desire to win titles in five weight classes.